Cattle Market Pulse

Denison Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Denison, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 12, 2026

1,610 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Denison Livestock Feeder Cattle report →

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $362.19/cwt +7.82 vs last sale · ≈ $3,191/hd at 881 lb · 683 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $378.41/cwt +3.89 vs last sale · ≈ $3,016/hd at 797 lb · 330 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $343.96/cwt -22.79 vs last sale · ≈ $2,910/hd at 846 lb · 201 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,610 1,824 2,013
Feeder cattle 1,610 1,824 2,013

Special Calf & Yearling Sale. Compared to the sale last Thursday; 800-850 lb steers were mixed. Lower trend noted in the market this week. Light cattle and heifers were limited in numbers. The sale consisted of eighteen loads and several half loads of yearling steers, along with smaller strings. Demand was good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
461–486 478 9 470.00–510.00 $482.87 $2,308 -46.01
539–547 542 13 497.50–500.00 $498.47 $2,702 +1.11
588–597 595 35 412.00–440.00 $435.26 $2,590 -40.36
660–693 687 35 374.00–408.00 $379.60 $2,608 -28.04
706–722 717 43 376.00–385.00 $378.25 $2,712 -14.54
793–799 797 330 373.00–381.00 $378.41 $3,016 +3.89
805–848 846 201 343.00–368.00 $343.96 $2,910 -22.79
865–892 881 683 359.00–365.50 $362.19 $3,191 +7.82
933 933 12 337.00 $337.00 $3,144 -5.95
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
989 989 99 320.75 $320.75 $3,172
1000 1000 51 319.00 $319.00 $3,190 -1.25
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820 820 7 320.00 $320.00 $2,624
920 920 3 300.00 $300.00 $2,760

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 5 405.00 $405.00 $2,329 -74.00
659 659 11 380.00 $380.00 $2,504 +7.65
788 788 9 330.00 $330.00 $2,600 -24.18

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What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.